Volume 1: Re:Zero -Starting Life as a Samurai Chapter 52: The Family Elder - Kuranaga Saemon (Part 2)
However, only one person's expression was different from the others.
This person is Hanbei.
Although Hanbei did not rush forward to surround Ogata like his disciples, he stood silently by the side, feeling relieved for Ogata's safe return while quietly listening to Ogata's brief account of his heroic deeds today.
After learning that Ogata defeated the 12 disciples of Ishikawa Sword Hall and escaped unscathed, Hanbei's face showed complicated emotions.
The dominant expression among these complex emotions was shock.
And... a strange feeling that is hard to describe and meaningful.
Hanbei silently looked at Ogata, who was now the center of attention, with a complex look that contained shock and some strange emotions.
…
…
If we were to say who was the top leader of Hirose Domain, it would undoubtedly be the lord of Hirose Domain - Matsudaira Gennai.
If you go out on the street and ask a hundred people, all of them will definitely give the same answer.
But if you ask a hundred people on the street who is the second-in-command of the Hirose domain, they will definitely give the same answer: the second-in-command of the Hirose domain is the family elder - Kuranaga Saemon.
The Hirose domain currently has a monarch like Matsudaira Gennai who is indifferent to state affairs and extremely cruel. Logically, the order in the Hirose domain should have collapsed long ago, with riots and uprisings everywhere.
But up to now, the Hirose domain has maintained overall stability without any major unrest.
The reason for this is all due to the ability of the Hirose clan's elder, Kuranaga Zaemon, who is 54 years old this year.
The so-called family elder is the highest-ranking official in the various feudal domains and can be regarded as the chief steward of each feudal domain.
A steward who assists the feudal lord in handling government affairs.
And Cangyong, the chief steward, can be said to be hardworking and dedicated.
Matsudaira Gennai was causing chaos everywhere, and it was Kuranaga who managed to maintain stability in the entire domain with his own efforts.
Reading for a while every night was one of the few entertainment activities that Cangyong had throughout the day.
Even after a day's work and feeling exhausted, Cangyong would still read before going to bed.
In addition to being an outstanding politician, Kuranaga was also an outstanding Sinologist who was well versed in Chinese studies.
The books I read most are various Chinese books.
For example, tonight - Cangyong is reading a handwritten copy of The Analects.
When Cang Yong was studying, he hated it most when someone was making noise around him.
So every night when reading, Cang Yong would lock himself in the room and read alone in this quiet environment.
In Kuranaga's room, the only sounds were Kuranaga's breathing and the swish of turning pages.
However - at this moment, a voice coming from the top of the ceiling broke the silence of the room.
"Lord Kuranaga."
After this sudden sound came from the top of the ceiling, Kuranaga did not feel panicked or scared.
Acting as if he was used to it.
Kuranaga did not stop turning the pages of the book. He continued to turn the pages while speaking in a calm tone that was neither salty nor bland:
"It's Fei Yuan, what's the matter?"
As soon as Kuranaga finished speaking, a board on the ceiling was moved away, and then a short man dressed in black jumped down through the hole in the ceiling and stood neatly on the tatami.
The short man landed right behind Cangyong.
The next moment after landing, the short man swiftly knelt on one knee on the ground.
This short man is Kuranaga's ninja - Tobisaru.
Tobizaru was born in the Shiranui Village.
For ordinary civilians, Shiranui Village may be an unfamiliar term.
But for a superior like Kuranaga, the name of the Shiranui Village is well-known.
Shiranui Village - the largest ninja force in Japan, best at training ninjas who are good at assassination and combat.
At the same time, only the ninjas who are best at assassination and fighting can obtain high positions in the Shiranui Village.
Ninjas who are not good at fighting will suffer discrimination among the Shiranui ninjas.
And Feiyuan happens to be the kind of person who is not good at assassination and fighting.
Unable to endure this discrimination, Tobizaru escaped from the Shiranui Village and wandered to the Hirose Domain in the Izumo region. By chance, he met Kuranaga.
Although Fei Yuan is not good at assassination and fighting, he is quite good at infiltration and gathering intelligence.
He was also appreciated by Cangyong for this.
Kuranaga admired Tobisaurus's infiltration ability, so he recruited Tobisaurus as his own ninja, specifically responsible for helping Kuranaga to gather various intelligence within the domain.
When Kuranaga did not assign specific work to Tobisaurus, Tobisaurus would wander around the domain, collecting all kinds of useful or interesting information, and then report to Kuranaga that evening.
"Tobizaru." Kuranaga's eyes still did not leave the Analects in his hand, "Did anything interesting or noteworthy happen in the domain today?"
"My lord." Fei Yuan raised the corner of his mouth, "something worthy of attention has indeed happened today."
"What is it?"
"A group of disciples from Ishikawa Sword Gym went to Sakakibara Sword Gym to cause trouble. Not only did they break into the Gym, they also injured many people from the Gym."
“Hmm?” Kuranaga’s eyes still didn’t leave the Analects in his hand. “Has the relationship between Ishikawa Sword Hall and Sakakibara Sword Hall become so bad that they have started to cause trouble at each other’s houses…”
"No, my lord. The reason why the people from Ishikawa Sword Hall went to Sakakibara Sword Hall to cause trouble today was to find a disciple of Sakakibara Sword Hall - Ogata Yisei."
"Because Ogata Yoshisei was not at the sword hall at that time, and there was a problem with the communication between the two sides, it deteriorated into a fight."
"Ogata Nosuke..." Kuranaga chewed on the name.
After searching his mind, he couldn't remember this person, so Cangyong classified this person as a minor character who didn't need to be paid attention to.
"Then what? These trivial family matters are what you call things worthy of attention?" There was a hint of displeasure in Cangyong's tone.
"My lord, please listen to me. The things that are really worth noting are coming later."
"After the people from Ishikawa Sword Hall went to Sakakibara Sword Hall to cause trouble and injured many people from Sakakibara Sword Hall, that Ogata Issei came back."
"When Ogata Yisei saw his fellow disciples being bullied by the people from Ishikawa Sword Hall, he went straight into the Ishikawa Sword Hall alone without saying a word."
"I challenge all the disciples of Ishikawa Sword Hall by myself."
"Finally, after successfully defeating the 12 disciples of Ishikawa Sword Hall, he escaped unscathed. There was not a single injury on his body."
"one person?"
"Yes, Xu Fang went to Ishikawa Sword Hall alone ."
Cangyong's pupils suddenly shrank.
And for the first time tonight, his eyes left the "Analects of Confucius" in his hand.
